KOOL KEN: Peace, peace, my friends. How y'all feel out there? It's your host, Cool Can checking in with another episode of the Get Your Mind Right Podcast. Man, this episode right here is special to me because my guest isn't somebody I just met along the way. We go way back. Like, serious. We went to Princeton High School together. We were teammates together.
Markus Thomas: Yes, sir.
KOOL KEN: We battled together. Part of the 1987 Princeton Viking State Championship football team. And you might remember another one of our teammates, Super Bowl champion Ron Carpenter. He joined me back in season one, episode five. But tonight, we're here to give my guy Marcus Thomas his flowers. Y'all
Markus Thomas: What's good, what's good.
KOOL KEN: know how I do, man. We give him his flowers, we clap it up for him. So I want y'all to give him a round of applause. Get your clap on, and we welcome.
Markus Thomas: What's good, what's good brother? Good to hear from you, man. Good to see you, man.
KOOL KEN: Great to hear from you, great to see you, Marcus. You you were always one of those when you look back on it, you were a good kid, man. You know what I mean? A a a solid individual. A good person.
Markus Thomas: tried to be.
KOOL KEN: you you were super cool, man. You you were super cool. You you were one of the the guys we we all got along with, looked up to. you and your sister Mel. We was all everybody was cool, man.
Markus Thomas: Yeah. Yeah, man.
KOOL KEN: Yeah, we we enjoyed I I definitely enjoyed hanging out with you the times that we got an opportunity to spend time with you.
Markus Thomas: Yeah, man. Listen, man, me and Melny talk about this all the time. I talk to my sister every day. my twin, my twin sis, my twin sis,
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm. Yeah, big shout out, Melanie. Shout out to Melanie. Yeah, number love.
Markus Thomas: we always, we do, we always talk about rolling, rolling in big blue. We had that big arrow star, dog. We used to, we used to roll through Evendale, roll through Lincoln Heights, roll through Woodlawn, picking up
KOOL KEN: Right. Yes. Pick up everybody. Yep. Yep.
Markus Thomas: everybody, rolling, rolling to the parties eight deep.
KOOL KEN: Yes.
Markus Thomas: and that mini Van dude, that's how we did it, man. know, know, dad
KOOL KEN: Yeah, sure did. Sure did. Uhhuh.
Markus Thomas: had us, he gave us a lot of trust, man. And that's one of the things that I always remember. I always remembered and appreciated, like everybody had respect for my parents and especially my dad, cause my dad was involved.
KOOL KEN: Yes.
Markus Thomas: I don't know if people realized that Donald Darby, that was my godfather. Yeah.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm. Superintendent.
Markus Thomas: That's my uncle Don. That was my godfather. I saw him a couple of months ago. My auntie Cheryl, his wife, brought him up here as a trip to Atlantic City and she called me so I met him down there for dinner. And it was
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: the first, because I don't really get a chance to get home a lot, but it was a good chance to see him and spend time with him, man. So that was fun to do. But yeah, man, always had people looking out for me, man.
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: And my dad was like, he's the knucklehead, so if he give you problems. You you call Don, Don will call me and we'll get it handled, man. So I ain't really have no room to screw around like that. Yeah.
KOOL KEN: Nah, you you just didn't know. You was you were you were cool. I was a knucklehead, you know what I'm saying?
Markus Thomas: You
KOOL KEN: Hey, hey, but I I wanna brag on you for a second, right? So that that that's what I do. I I like to brag. And and the one thing I always point out, and it's it's so dope to to be able to look back and and actually know where you came from.
Markus Thomas: Mm-hmm.
KOOL KEN: see that you became one of the greatest running backs at EKU Eastern Kentucky University. That's EKU. One of the best in EKU's history. how you you r rushed for over five thousand yards in at college?
Markus Thomas: Five, what was it? 57, 22 or something like that. I can't even remember what it was. Dude, could,
KOOL KEN: You you feel me? All American.
Markus Thomas: that was one of the things that I would always, I was never, I never talked smack. I wasn't that type of dude. Yeah, but
KOOL KEN: No you didn't. Nah, you ran hard though, boy.
Markus Thomas: I would tell people like I could tote that rock. I ended up like, I was like 6.2 yards per carry for my career, dude.
KOOL KEN: Wow. And and how how tall are you? Just tell. And how much did you weigh in college? Yeah.
Markus Thomas: I'm about five, 10 and a half. In college, in college I was anywhere between 195 and 205. I was not a big dude. So.
KOOL KEN: Gotcha. Yeah. Yeah. And and ripping on them like but you ran hard though. You ran like a big dude.
Markus Thomas: Yeah, I was a late bloomer, dude. I didn't start playing football until I was 10.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: When like, I'm from Sensei, born and raised in Sensei. We was born, lived out in College Hill. Dude,
KOOL KEN: Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: fun fact, man, I grew up with Ken Griffey Jr. We all went to school together. Griff Jr., his little brother, Craig, we
KOOL KEN: Gotcha. Right, right. Yes.
Markus Thomas: went to this place in College Hill. It was called Central Baptist.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: Me and Melanie was in kindergarten. His little brother, Craig,
KOOL KEN: Yeah, we
Markus Thomas: No, we were in first grade. Craig was in kindergarten. Ken was in second grade.
KOOL KEN: Gotcha.
Markus Thomas: So, and then my dad moved us to, we moved to Cleveland for about eight
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: months. And then we moved to St. Louis.
KOOL KEN: Gotcha.
Markus Thomas: And St. Louis was like the formative years. Cause we was like from
KOOL KEN: Gotcha.
Markus Thomas: 78 to 84. And then I remember dad was working for Ford Motor Company. He got promoted. And I remember we had like a little family meeting. He was like, all right, we can either go to Seattle or we can go back home to Cincinnati. And
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: we were like, well, shoot, we want to go back home.
KOOL KEN: I know that's right.
Markus Thomas: And my cousin, my cousin Carmen, she was already at Princeton. So it was already automatic. I was like, we want to go to Princeton, period.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. When did y'all come back? You were you in the tenth grade when y'all came back or ninth grade?
Markus Thomas: Ninth grade, 84.
KOOL KEN: Okay, yeah, yeah.
Markus Thomas: We came back at 84. And like, yeah, man, it was, I had just started playing football in St. Louis. So
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: I always remember like that, I always remember our freshman year, we was playing the game. Mr. Smith was our coach.
KOOL KEN: Shout out to Ali Smith, Mr. Smith.
Markus Thomas: Yo, and I think we lost the game.
KOOL KEN: Mm.
Markus Thomas: And I remember seeing Charlie Williams cry.
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: And I was like, why they crying? Because what I
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: didn't understand was, you know, I'm the new guy in town. So I didn't understand that they had been playing from wood lawn since they was like eight, nine years old. I didn't understand all of
KOOL KEN: Yeah. Yeah, I ain't lose, but damn.
Markus Thomas: that. And I didn't understand that group had like never lost. And we, remember if it was our freshman year or sophomore. No, it had to be freshmen. And I just remember, I saw Charlie Williams crying and I was like, why are they crying? Didn't know that they had like almost never lost a game, you know? And I was like, well, shoot, when I started playing, we didn't win a game. this this wasn't foreign to me, but yeah,
KOOL KEN: Yeah, you was you was used to
Markus Thomas: I was used to it. But just coming into, but even then I knew that that group we was with was special. for whatever reason. then I always remember I was playing nose guard, because that's what I played when I started playing football. I was nose guard and fullback. I didn't carry the ball a lot. I just was having fun playing. And
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: then I'll never forget, you know, when you go into your sophomore year, you got to go talk to Kuz. You know, that was the big meeting,
KOOL KEN: Right. Right.
Markus Thomas: you know? And man, Kuzo was like, well, what do you want to do when you come to varsity? And I was like, I want to be a running back. And he looked at me like I had three heads.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: He was like, really? And I was like, yeah. And that's when I started playing running back. And then that sophomore year, and I remember everybody telling me like, yo, Marcus ain't got no moves, but that joker run hard.
KOOL KEN: Yeah, you ain't you what you you would just hit that hole and go. And that's what
Markus Thomas: Yeah.
KOOL KEN: made you special though, man. You you didn't have that jiggy. But you had speed. Yeah, you had speed.
Markus Thomas: Nah, I didn't get that till late. I was a late bloomer when it come to that.
KOOL KEN: yeah.
Markus Thomas: Yeah. And then, and then, and you know what? That sophomore year, you know, he used to, we used to meet in the locker room and he would play that show on our age now. He would play the reel to reel NFL films joint.
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: And I saw, it was that one with Gale Serres. And when he said, all I need is 18 inches. That's when I started wearing number 40. After
KOOL KEN: Number forty, you're right.
Markus Thomas: I saw that, I was like, that's me right there. And
KOOL KEN: You.
Markus Thomas: that's how I modeled my style after, like Gale says. So,
KOOL KEN: Wow. Wow. Makes sense.
Markus Thomas: shout out to Princeton High School, man. To this day, man, that's like, hey, put your hand over your heart every time you say it, You know what I'm saying? We build different,
KOOL KEN: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: We build different, bro.
KOOL KEN: They're different. And you know this week, so the when this by the time this airs, homecoming week will be got the whole
Markus Thomas: The reunion, yeah, yeah.
KOOL KEN: the all all all class reunion this weekend coming up. brand new stadium, brand new
Markus Thomas: Wow.
KOOL KEN: field, everything. So it's the grand opening this Friday. Yes.
Markus Thomas: Nice. Nice.
KOOL KEN: It would be dope if you were able to make it down. I know you can't. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: Man, I wish I could, man. I really wish I could. this is like, this is my, for my job, this is my busy season.
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: Cause we getting ready for, I'm kind of like, I'm in the classic car industry. So
KOOL KEN: Okay.
Markus Thomas: we getting ready for this big, they have a big car show in Vegas every November called SEMA. So my company is getting ready for that. So everybody's running around crazy. So this is like my seriously busy season. So
KOOL KEN: Okay.
Markus Thomas: like I said, I don't really get a chance to get home often. You know what I mean? So I always miss all of this stuff. But I always see the pictures, always hear about it. I know my sister went one year. She told
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: me all about it, put me on FaceTime and all that kind of stuff. Last time I was
KOOL KEN: Right, right.
Markus Thomas: home was the big class reunion we had. I don't even know how many years ago that was, but it was a minute. Cause I couldn't even come home for the Hall of Fame thing. I couldn't make it.
KOOL KEN: Right, right, yeah. We gotta we gotta get you home, man, one of these days.
Markus Thomas: Yeah.
KOOL KEN: big shout out to Doobie, man. Doobie put a lot of work into the the all class reunion. Yep, he he
Markus Thomas: Roommate. That's my roommate right there.
KOOL KEN: doing great things, man. And have you seen Sterling? Yeah.
Markus Thomas: Man, I called Doobie over the summer and
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: I was trying to get him to hook me up with Sterling so I could get Sterling on the podcast before he went out to Texas.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. To tax. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: But they scheduled running back and forth and I understand how it is when you got a kid in college and
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: what they doing now with the transfers and the NIL, this is a whole new ball game. So I was like, hey. I understand if it can't happen. And he just got busy, man, and we couldn't line up the schedules, man. But I've been checking him out.
KOOL KEN: Yeah, big shout out to Sterling. We're gonna get him on both our podcasts, you know. And
Markus Thomas: Yeah, man. For sure.
KOOL KEN: I'm gonna tell the people about your podcast as well. But I want you to talk a little bit more about your career. we talked about Princeton, you getting to Ohio. We talked about EKU a little bit.
Markus Thomas: Absolutely. Roy Kidd.
KOOL KEN: Yeah, a are you in the college football hall of fame?
Markus Thomas: I'm a nominee. I'm
KOOL KEN: Nominee, okay, okay.
Markus Thomas: a nominee. I've been on the ballot for probably the past 15 years.
KOOL KEN: So we gotta make sure we get Marcus in there, y'all. If you watching, make sure you vote for the
Markus Thomas: Yeah.
KOOL KEN: twenty twenty six College Football Hall of Fame. Get Marcus
Markus Thomas: When I left,
KOOL KEN: in there.
Markus Thomas: when I graduated from Eastern, I left as one AA all-time leading Russian in history. And
KOOL KEN: Wow. Wow.
Markus Thomas: then about, I want to say it was like maybe 10 years later, it was some
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: kid from Maine that broke that record.
KOOL KEN: Okay.
Markus Thomas: So when I left, I was the all-time leader. And then,
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: you know, subsequently somebody broke that, but you know, I did my thing. I still got all the EKU's record though. So.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. I know yeah. I know that's right.
Markus Thomas: And the way they throw the ball now is that record might not ever get broken. They just don't run enough anymore.
KOOL KEN: So after after college, Where'd you go?
Markus Thomas: I got, I signed as a free agent with the Eagles and made the squad,
KOOL KEN: Okay. Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: did it the hard way, made it as a undrafted free agent.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: And I was up there for 93 and 94. Then I got released. They drafted this kid named Charlie Garner from Tennessee. And that man was a beast.
KOOL KEN: Mm. Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: But I ended up getting released. Then I bounced around a little bit, went to a couple of camps, ended up going to the world league when they revamped the world league. And I was out there in Scotland with the Scottish Claymores and then went there for three years. That second year over there, we won the championship, we won the world bowl.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: So that was a lot of fun. And then after that, went up to, I signed with Canada, signed
KOOL KEN: Uh-huh.
Markus Thomas: up with the Hamilton Thai Cats.
KOOL KEN: Wow.
Markus Thomas: So went up there, that didn't end well.
KOOL KEN: Hmm.
Markus Thomas: And that's when things like I had to, was in the back of my mind. I'm making, I'm like, okay, I gotta start making some grown folks decisions. Cause I'm 27 years old, about to be 28.
KOOL KEN: Right.
Markus Thomas: And I know this is a young man's game. And I'm, you know, by that time I know how the sausage is made. You know I'm saying?
KOOL KEN: Right, right, right.
Markus Thomas: And then what happened was the, I signed with Hamilton
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: and My wife had a good job in Philly. We hadn't been married long. Matter fact, we were still newlyweds and she wanted to come up to Canada with me.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: Me knowing how the business is, I'm like, I don't know if that's a good idea, especially cause she had a really good job. She's been in Independence Blue Cross, Blue Shield, down here in Philly. She was doing her thing. when I made the squad, They made me a deal. said, if you make the team, we'll give you a starters bonus. We'll give you a couple extra hundred bucks or whatever. So I said, okay. So
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: I told my wife, said, listen, if I make the squad, gonna give me a little bit of extra change and then that'll at least supplement a little bit. You know what
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: I mean? So if I make the squad, come on up and you know, we'll figure it out. Long story short, I made the team. It was a guy on the squad. Another running back had been on for years. They cut him. I was on. then the team gets off to like a one and six start.
KOOL KEN: Mm.
Markus Thomas: So we going into week eight. Dude calls me in the office and I'm thinking this was regular old meeting with the offensive coach or whatever and they give me a pink slip.
KOOL KEN: Dang.
Markus Thomas: And I'm like, wait, what, huh? And then I had just got an apartment. I had signed a six month lease for an apartment on Lake Ontario. So
KOOL KEN: Wow. Wow.
Markus Thomas: luckily we had this, this lady looked like a cartoon character, man. She looked like, you ever seen that cartoon, Courage the Cowly Dog?
KOOL KEN: No, I don't think so.
Markus Thomas: So some of y'all listening, y'all know what I'm talking about. There's a character on that cartoon, her name is Muriel. She's
KOOL KEN: I'm gonna have to look that up.
Markus Thomas: an old, old white woman with bleach blonde, like a bleach blonde Afro. And wore glasses. the, once you see it, you'll understand what I'm talking about. But this is what this woman reminded me of. She was the leasing agent for that building. She
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: let me break my lease.
KOOL KEN: Wow.
Markus Thomas: That's how much of it, she was a big fan of the Thai cats. She was really nice to me. And I went and talked with her and I was like, I said, I apologize. They just cut me. So I played the game. I stayed up there for about another two, three weeks on the phone with the agent. hearing anything
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: and all of that kind of stuff. you know, again, I know how the sausage is made. So if my agent is not getting any bites, I know what it is. So I'm like, okay. We paying for an apartment in Canada, a house in Jersey, and we both unemployed.
KOOL KEN: But
Markus Thomas: So I'm like, that's what I was like, I gotta put my big boy pants on and I gotta make a decision. So lady let me break my lease. She was nice enough to let me break my, I just signed a six month lease, not even a month ago,
KOOL KEN: Mm.
Markus Thomas: not even a month prior. And we got out of there. And I didn't know what I was gonna do. So I was like, well, I graduated on time, got my degree. Let me start pounding the pavement and what I studied for. At that time, me and Karp was still tight. I mean, we still tight to this day, but
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: he had called me and he was like, yo, he's like, you thinking about the XFL? And I was like, man, I don't know. I don't wanna, at that time, my head was like, I don't wanna go through all of this training, get
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: myself ready, get myself in game shape. And then you go down there and then you gotta deal with the politics again and all of that type of stuff. So I was like, him and that harm with that. And then one day he said, listen, he said, fill out the application. They paying good money and just go for what you know.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: So I filled out the application. had driven to a Barnes and Noble and I was sitting in the parking lot on the phone with my wife and she was like, well, what do you want to do? She was like, get it out your system. She was like, if you still want to play, I will support you, but I don't want it like you stopping because I want you to stop. She said, get
KOOL KEN: All right.
Markus Thomas: it. If you want to play, go play, get it out of your system.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: And I sat there in that parking lot by myself probably for about an hour. And then I ended up ripping it up.
KOOL KEN: Hm.
Markus Thomas: I was like, I said, nope. I said, I don't want to go through all of that nonsense again for maybe. Because
KOOL KEN: Right, right, right.
Markus Thomas: a lot of times you learn, and if you've talked to anybody that's been involved with any type of professional sports, hell, any type of collegiate sports. It's a lot of politics involved and it's a lot of things that happen that are out of your control. And sometimes you might be the best person there and you still get screwed. So after the situation that happened in Canada, I was just like, you know what? No, I'm almost 28 years old. I don't want to be one of these dudes, 28, 29, 30 years old, still trying to get on the team because it's probably not going happen. So I just made the decision. I was like, let me stop. Got my job and my degree. was a mechanical design degree. So I just started in my field. The one thing that I wish I would have done differently. I don't really regret it, but hindsight being 2020. Because when you pull the emergency stop on something like that in your life that you've been doing since you was 10 years old,
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: it's hard to just break away from it. Very, very difficult. What
KOOL KEN: Right, right, right.
Markus Thomas: I wish I would have done differently was as soon as I stopped playing, As soon as I stopped playing, wish I would have had the wherewithal to go get a job in coaching immediately. Immediately.
KOOL KEN: Right, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Markus Thomas: But the whole situation with Canada gave me such a bad taste in my mouth. I was like, I need to step away from this for a
KOOL KEN: Mm.
Markus Thomas: minute. And then I did. I didn't really start doing anything with football related. I bet you I stepped away from the game for a good five, six years.
KOOL KEN: Hm.
Markus Thomas: I didn't go to any Eagles functions and Like I didn't do any of that. And then what got me back into it was my nephew, shout out to my nephew, Randy Bell, who plays basketball overseas now. I went to one of his football games
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: and I'm watching the football game. And of course, like family members and parents, we all talking and do this and do that. And why are they doing this? And why ain't they letting them do that? And I said, you know what? Nope. I said, nope. I said, cause if I'm talking, I could be coaching.
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: So the next year I volunteered to be a coach, one of the assistant coaches in the football club, just so I could coach him. And you're
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: only supposed to get him for two years.
KOOL KEN: Right.
Markus Thomas: So I coached him for two years and then he decided he didn't want to play anymore. But I stayed with the group I was with. I ended up staying coaching with them kids for like 10 years. And I enjoyed it. And that's what really got me back in the game. And then in the course of doing that, the Eagles started getting back in touch with alumni and stuff like that. And they started having functions. So slowly, but surely I got back involved with the Eagles and then NFL alumni and all of that type of stuff. it was a slow grind, I wish I would have immediately got into coaching, like
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: soon as I stopped. Cause that would have helped. Cause it's a mental juggle. You got to juggle some things when you pull that emergency break. You you got to deal with the questions and
KOOL KEN: Thank you.
Markus Thomas: you know, people think they know you. Why you stop playing? What happened to all the money? And I was like, you don't know how this work, do you? So,
KOOL KEN: Right, right,
Markus Thomas: and you get, you kind of get sick of answering all them questions. And then you get the ignorant people that think they know everything and then they
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: don't. And then ultimately, now this is funny. You always come to a situation and this is funny. This is not even really serious. You get people that'll say, they find out your history eventually, right?
KOOL KEN: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: Hey man, why don't you come out and like, we playing like touch football on Sunday. I'm like, no, no, no, no, no, no, we not doing that. They did. I had a couple
KOOL KEN: They be asking you that? What?
Markus Thomas: of people ask me that when they, they either want you to come play basketball or
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: they want you to come play, you know, football in the park or something like that, you know? And
KOOL KEN: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Markus Thomas: I was like, I can't do that, man. They're like, come on, dog, you know? And I was like, nah, I come not, why not? And I was like,
KOOL KEN: Yeah. It's over. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: Because, well, no, no, because I was still in the gym. I was still in shape. I said, the problem is, number one, I don't play basketball. Never been good at basketball. And every time I play basketball, I end up coming down on somebody's ankle, twisting mine, and I'm pissed off. So
KOOL KEN: Right.
Markus Thomas: we don't do basketball. I said, I said, football, whether you playing two-hand touch, seven-on-seven, whatever you do, eventually somebody's gonna figure out that I used to play ball. Then I become the target.
KOOL KEN: Then they're gonna try to yep.
Markus Thomas: I'd be, boy, he used to play for the Eagles. And so if I beat him, I used to play pro ball, so I'm supposed to beat him. But if I get beat, I never hit an NW. So I was like, and then everybody wanna get extra with you. You know what I mean? So I was like, no, like, no, we're not, no, no, thank you.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. Yeah, you just avoided it. There ain't nothing wrong with that.
Markus Thomas: So, but yeah, man, just once I got back into kids and, you know, the... everything going on with the Eagles. go to the alumni events
KOOL KEN: Yeah, yeah.
Markus Thomas: and just kind of eased into it, man. So it was cool. It was a good transition, learned a lot. Still got all my moments. Go ahead.
KOOL KEN: I wanted to ask you real quick and and kinda take it back 'cause we went through the Eagles, went and the end of the career. but I I kinda wanna go back a little bit. Cause you you was going to the NFL, was that a dream of yours? Was it a dream? Yeah.
Markus Thomas: Absolutely. For me, I didn't think about it. I didn't understand or think it was a reality until
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: maybe going into my junior year in college.
KOOL KEN: Okay.
Markus Thomas: Because now I'm putting numbers up that's comparable with, that's some of the best in the country ever. So
KOOL KEN: Right. Right. Ever.
Markus Thomas: I'm like, okay, then I'm looking back on the guys that I played with,
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: Myron Guyton. Super Bowl with the Giants. Then
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: he plays with the Patriots. First rookie, my only guy he can play to Eastern Kentucky, first rookie to start for Bill Parcells.
KOOL KEN: Who who who was your coach at EKU? Okay.
Markus Thomas: Roy Kidd, Roy Kidd, passed away a couple years ago. So the guys that I was playing with, Tim Lester. Tim Lester
KOOL KEN: Yeah, I heard his name.
Markus Thomas: was, most people know Tim Lester. He passed away a couple of years ago. They called him the bus driver because he, yes, he was the fullback for Jerome Bettis. So
KOOL KEN: Did he play for Pittsburgh? Who did he play for Okay, yeah, yeah, I don't Yeah, okay, okay, okay.
Markus Thomas: they, cause he was in LA
KOOL KEN: Mm.
Markus Thomas: with the Rams when Bettis was there. And then when Bettis went to Pittsburgh, they picked him up in Pittsburgh too. They called him the bus driver cause he was always blocked.
KOOL KEN: Yeah, that's what's up.
Markus Thomas: Tim was the starting tailback when we got to EKU.
KOOL KEN: Hmm.
Markus Thomas: So it was our true freshman year, there was this guy named Elroy Harris. ended up playing for Seattle. And then, yeah, he was a tailback, little short dude
KOOL KEN: He's a running back too, right?
Markus Thomas: with thick thighs that was running over everybody.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: Then Tim Lester came in and Tim was the starting tailback. I was the backup.
KOOL KEN: Okay.
Markus Thomas: We played Delaware State. It was like 98 degrees. It was hot as all get out. And Tim tore his knee, tore his ACL.
KOOL KEN: Hmm, mm.
Markus Thomas: And when I stepped on the field, I never stepped off.
KOOL KEN: I know that's right.
Markus Thomas: That's when I took over. then I was playing so well that when Tim got healthy the next year, they moved him to fullback.
KOOL KEN: Hmm.
Markus Thomas: So he ended up being my block. So...
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: And like I said, I just never stepped off the field and I just kept getting better and better, more confidence, all that type of stuff, man. Cause it was very similar to the experience I had at Princeton because
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: nobody knew who I was. I was an outsider. We had moved back. So I wasn't known with the Woodlawn, Evendale, Lincoln Heights crew. I was the outsider.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. Right.
Markus Thomas: So I had to earn my strikes. You know I'm saying? was the same thing when I got down to Eastern Kentucky, I was a, I was a decent running back from Cincinnati in a group of people from Florida, Georgia, all of those people. The rumor was all of the, most of the athletes at Eastern Kentucky were from Georgia and Florida. And they were the athletes that the university of Miami, Florida state, university of Florida, those were the athletes that didn't have the grades to go to them big schools. They had the talent. But they, so you had that kind of pedigree coming up from the South and them boys could ball. That's why we were so good.
KOOL KEN: Yeah, I know that's right.
Markus Thomas: And it was kind of the same thing, man. When I got my opportunity, I made the most of
KOOL KEN: So speaking on on what you just said about the guys from Florida, Georgia, everywhere, you being
Markus Thomas: Hmm
KOOL KEN: from Ohio, What were the differences from being a high school state champion, going to EKU, right? Becoming the all-time leading rusher in college, and then going to the NFL. Like those changes, but how was that transition? Like getting there and looking back on your career and then being an NFL player?
Markus Thomas: It's not. In my opinion, it's a maturity thing.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: It's a maturity and a confidence thing. I was lucky enough when we went down to Princeton, we went down to, when I went to Eastern Kentucky, we were at Eastern Kentucky in force. So
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: it was a lot of Princeton High School at EKU. Me, Doobie, Ron Woods, Dwayne Woods, Mark Mitchell, Maurice Calhoun came down there. We came in force. So it was very comforting. to have your homeboys down there, people you play with, people. So that was a comfort thing. And it's all about getting in there, being confident. Our quarterback was named Lorenzo Fields and Duby was the heir apparent, but they tried
KOOL KEN: Okay.
Markus Thomas: to bring this kid in from the University of Louisville, because they wanted us to throw a little bit more. And they kind of ushered, tried to usher Duby out the way. And it didn't really help because Duby broke his wrist.
KOOL KEN: Hm.
Markus Thomas: Lorenzo broke his ankle. Doobie got in the game. We ended up winning the game. So it was like, the, I never forget that. Doob came in the game. He calling the huddle and it's a pitch to me. And I'm like, roommate, this just like how we used to do it back at the crib. Let's go. Like I
KOOL KEN: Right, right.
Markus Thomas: was like, it's we bringing it back. And then a couple of plays later, he ends up breaking his wrist.
KOOL KEN: Hm.
Markus Thomas: And then that took him out. And then they put the other kid in and they wanted to keep him in because he was a transfer from Louisville. He was like six foot two, had a decent arm. So they wanted that part of it. So never did work out quite that way. But I'm saying all I have to say, just being amongst your homeboys, having Big Mark down there, Mark Mitchell, was
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: very, it gave you lot of confidence because you knew you were surrounded by family basically.
KOOL KEN: Right. Big pros too, big bros.
Markus Thomas: Yeah, man. Mark Mitchell. Mark Mitchell was huge in my career. A lot of people don't know this, man. Mark Mitchell was the reason I went to Eastern Kentucky.
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: You know, back in the day, when you went to college, what's the first place you went when you finally got home? You went to school.
KOOL KEN: Right.
Markus Thomas: Jumped in the weight room, you was going to get a workout, you going to talk to Mr. Corson, you going to talk to Mr. Mancuso, you going to, you know. Talk to Mr. Moody, everybody, all of our coaches, because we was tight like that. So Mark Mitchell was back home, I don't know if he's on a, whenever it was, spring break or whatever it was, and he was like, yo, you signed with anybody yet? And I was like, nah, because I had
KOOL KEN: Okay.
Markus Thomas: a scheduled to go to University of Toledo. I had already
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: visited Indiana State, because Marvin Bullock was down there.
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: So I was most likely gonna sign with either Indiana State or Toledo. Mark was like,
KOOL KEN: Got it.
Markus Thomas: well, why don't you come on down to Richmond this weekend? I'll take you down there and I can introduce you to Coach Kidd. So I'm like, okay. Dude,
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: that was on a hump. We just happened to see each other in the locker room.
KOOL KEN: Wow.
Markus Thomas: I don't think he was looking for me and I wasn't looking for him. And
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: I was like, all right, so roll down there with Mark. Met Coach Kee, I'm seeing all the trophies, Ohio Valley Conference champions and this, that, the third. Mind you, this is 1987.
KOOL KEN: Right.
Markus Thomas: They had won a national championship in 1982.
KOOL KEN: Hm.
Markus Thomas: So that's still in, I can still see that happen. That's still recent. You know what I'm saying?
KOOL KEN: Right. Yeah, right. Right. Correct.
Markus Thomas: So I was like, okay. And then Coach Kee was like, he said, Marcus, he said, we would have recruited you, but we didn't think we could get you.
KOOL KEN: Mm.
Markus Thomas: But. If you want to come here and play football and get a chance to, you know, win some games, we'd love to have you." And I was like, I said, okay, is this how this is happening? Are you offering me a scholarship? He was like, sure, we'd love to have you play. And I like, I wasn't ready for it. was like, so like I had to make sure like you offered me a whole scholarship, partial, like how was this working? I didn't know. He
KOOL KEN: Right, right, right. Right. Right.
Markus Thomas: said, we'll give you a full scholarship. Come down here and play for us. That's how I ended up signing with Eastern Kentucky, because of Mark Mitchell. Cause I saw Mark Mitchell in the weight room. Sat out the big mark, man. And then,
KOOL KEN: Shout out to Mark, man. We miss you. Miss and love, Mark, man.
Markus Thomas: and then I always got to the story. My best game as a college player versus Marshall, 37 carries 300 yards.
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: 37 carries, 300 yards. My first carry in that game, Mark, I believe, was a starting right guard.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: In the huddle, Mark looked at me, he just said, just follow me. Rest is history, bro. And
KOOL KEN: Yes' history, man.
Markus Thomas: then, you know, going to other stuff when I was pledging Alpha and all that kind of stuff, Mark was the big grows and, you know, Mark packed us in his red Jetta and drove us down to Memphis. Me, Doobie, Kelly Blunt, we was all part of his wedding. We was all in his wedding. What
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: you doing this weekend? We all in the summer school. What you doing this weekend? Come on down to Memphis with me. I'm getting married. Huh?
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: Dude, we made that trip down there and we was all part of his wedding,
KOOL KEN: I know that's right. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: Mark was the big homie, man. Mark kept us in line, bro.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. Literally. He he was he was one of a kind, man.
Markus Thomas: Yeah, absolutely.
KOOL KEN: Definitely. And Mark Marvin is what I mean, yeah, Yeah, Mark Bullock as well. Miss him too.
Markus Thomas: Yeah.
KOOL KEN: you just brought up some great names, some Princeton greats that we all knew.
Markus Thomas: Absolutely,
KOOL KEN: I I knew this was gonna be a great interview with you and and it's awesome to talk about all this stuff. And can I can I can I ask you a couple more questions? Because we
Markus Thomas: Sure.
KOOL KEN: normally go about 30 minutes or whatnot, but yeah,
Markus Thomas: Let's go man, I got nothing but time bro, let's do it.
KOOL KEN: good man, because we we we talked about a lot. And the one thing we already I kind of hit on it, but I want to listeners to understand about you being nominated to the College Football Hall of Fame. you've been on the ballot, you said, for 15 years. Somewhere around there, right? I
Markus Thomas: somewhere around there, it's been a minute. Yeah.
KOOL KEN: I was just made privy to it last year. Last year I saw it come through and I voted. I I was so proud. I'm so proud of you, man. And I
Markus Thomas: I appreciate it, man.
KOOL KEN: I I love to give the flowers to the people. Everybody say, Man, you know so many people. I'll I'll tell, yeah, he played in the NFL. He played, yeah, I played with them, da da da. They be like, man, you don't know them. You feel me? Yeah. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: Man, don't, listen man, don't sleep on our high school, bro. We was, we would do from Shane Curry to, to Karp, me, D-Graph.
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: The funny thing about our class was I was the late bloomer, Karp got hurt and D-Graph was the kicker.
KOOL KEN: Facts.
Markus Thomas: And so we were probably the three most unlikely people to make it to the show.
KOOL KEN: To make it to the NFL. You weren't one, you you your name going wasn't questionable at all. Ron worked so hard, worked his butt off to make
Markus Thomas: Yay, dude.
KOOL KEN: it through. we saw him play when it cause we grew up playing with Ron.
Markus Thomas: Yeah.
KOOL KEN: So we we knew. but Alan when you
Markus Thomas: D-Grav, boy, he came out of...
KOOL KEN: see that kind he had the size.
Markus Thomas: Zach.
KOOL KEN: He played soccer, he was a kicker, and then track speed. But so check this,
Markus Thomas: He had that track speed, bro. You can't teach speed.
KOOL KEN: check this quick, quick story. I'm in I'm at the University of Wisconsin up in Madison, right?
Markus Thomas: Mm-hmm.
KOOL KEN: wrestling. And I go to the game because Ohio State came, they played up in Wisconsin this day.
Markus Thomas: All right.
KOOL KEN: I go down on like close to the field, you got out, because I saw I was like, Al. He's on the Ohio State football team.
Markus Thomas: Yeah.
KOOL KEN: I said, You kicking? He's like, No, I'm wide receiver.
Markus Thomas: I received it, bro.
KOOL KEN: Craig Griffey, you just mentioned him earlier.
Markus Thomas: Yeah.
KOOL KEN: He was on the team as well as Carlos, Carlos Britton. Carlos Britton. Yeah, Carlos
Markus Thomas: Carlos, what was it Carlos? Britain, yeah, yeah.
KOOL KEN: Britton. They was all on the team, man. I was standing, they wasn't getting in the game. so I'm down there on the wall. They was like, what you doing up here, man? So that that's a that's one of my college memories, being able to see
Markus Thomas: Yeah, man, had some,
KOOL KEN: them up there.
Markus Thomas: man, we had some rippers at Princeton, bro. We had some bro,
KOOL KEN: Yeah. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: and then like Al D, man, like people forget how fast Alan was. Soccer,
KOOL KEN: Alan was fast. He was an athlete. He played soccer. You know what I mean?
Markus Thomas: and then, you know, he stayed champion when he was a freshman. He was on the mile relay. And
KOOL KEN: Right. Right. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: then when he went up to, when he went up to old state, okay, he's 6'2 and a half
KOOL KEN: Right.
Markus Thomas: and run a four, low four three. Cause he'd been running
KOOL KEN: Corruption.
Markus Thomas: track his whole life. And of course, and then they put him in the weight room and then all of sudden he came back jacked. Yeah. Yup.
KOOL KEN: He was Jack, dawg. He was Jack.
Markus Thomas: Absolutely, man.
KOOL KEN: So
Markus Thomas: One time, bro. What's up?
KOOL KEN: If the 17-year-old Marcus Thomas sitting in that Princet locker room
Markus Thomas: Yeah.
KOOL KEN: could see where his name is today, what would you tell that kid?
Markus Thomas: man, you know what? Just, you know what, just keep grinding. Don't worry about nobody else. Cause I had to go through that. And I'm sure every kid goes through their version of this, but because we were outsiders, I was always the butt of the jokes. Cause I was
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: the nerdy kid. I'm moving back. I remember coming back. I just got rid of the Jerry curl. So they was killing me. Skip Hunt and all them jokers was killing me in the hallways, bro.
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: But you learn to get thick skin. You know what I mean?
KOOL KEN: Yeah. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: One of the biggest lessons of my life, junior year, we playing Fairfield and I fumbled that ball on
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: like the 10 yard line. And... I remember in the locker room, Marvin was like, you all right? Where was that pitch at? And I was like, God, I was a little off. Man, Marvin was about to kill me. But the thing was that following Monday, I had to go to school and had to walk down them hallways and everybody mean mugging. And you can't, you gotta deal with it. And that, for me, that was one of the big life lessons. Like, if I can walk through the hallways after that, because you know how football was at our school. And I'm the reason why we lost a game. we, man, you grow up real quick and you make it up in your mind like, nah, I ain't gonna never feel like this again. And for me, that was the start of it. Really putting in time, being dedicated in the weight room and then being surrounded by all of those people. So I would just, if I'm gonna tell my, if my old self gonna talk to my young self, just keep grinding. Don't worry about what anybody else says. Keep grinding and it'll happen for
KOOL KEN: Definitely will. Gotta believe. So
Markus Thomas: Yeah, man. Don't stop.
KOOL KEN: and what would that same 17-year-old kid? What would he tell Marcus Thomas today? After football. So having all those accolades and knowing it's gonna be life after football. And when there's no football involved, what would you say?
Markus Thomas: You know what? wouldn't, I don't know. wouldn't, I really wouldn't change anything
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: because what I do now, right now, what I'm doing for my day to day, get, technically I counted, I got two jobs. My nine to five job that I get paid for, that they let me work from home.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: And I've been at this company for going on 16 years now.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: my podcast, which I consider that a job, but
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: I'm doing everything that I'm doing right now, started at Princeton. My ninth grade, I'm in Mr. Daly's class doing architecture.
KOOL KEN: I know that's right.
Markus Thomas: Then I'm in graphic arts with Mr. Davis, learning how to do the AB dick press and type setting. And
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: mind you, this is before windows and all of that type. This is before computers. I had to develop film and all of that kind of stuff. I do
KOOL KEN: Right. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: that stuff to this day. To this day, that's why I'm in the Photoshop. I do multimedia. You see my background. I created all
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: of this.
KOOL KEN: I know that's right.
Markus Thomas: I got another background where I had it animated and I had people walking past the glass and, dude, all of that started from Princeton. Because you had
KOOL KEN: And that's winning.
Markus Thomas: people that ushered that stuff in, man, so I wouldn't. I might tweak some things, but man, Princeton was such a good foundation, man. It's not even, it's hard to even explain, because the more I talk about it, I'm still not doing it any justice. And we ain't even really getting to the teachers, man. Because
KOOL KEN: Right.
Markus Thomas: my twin sister Melanie is a teacher today, so I understand the crap that they dealing with with a lot of these kids. we wasn't,
KOOL KEN: Correct, correct.
Markus Thomas: the teachers back in the day and the parents back in the day, they didn't play that. They didn't play that mess. I'd like to say that we, us from 1988 to about 1993-4ish,
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: that was the last era of it takes a village to raise a child.
KOOL KEN: Right.
Markus Thomas: Because after that, people started doing crazy stuff. Then you
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: got into people talking about give your kids timeouts and parents wanted to be friends and like it wasn't. When people saw my mom and dad, it was like, hey, Mr. Thomas, hey, Ms. Thomas. If I
KOOL KEN: Right.
Markus Thomas: saw somebody else's, it was like, hey, Mrs. Mr., how you doing? Hey, Ms. Burkhardt, how you doing?
KOOL KEN: Still to still to this day. Right.
Markus Thomas: All of that kind of stuff. We had the utmost respect, man. And that was the foundation and why we could do anything. Because it seemed like everybody was looking out for you and everybody had your best interest in mind. And it ain't like that today.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. Well we known each other, man, since we were young, young men, you know
Markus Thomas: Yeah, man.
KOOL KEN: what I'm saying, at Princeton, teammates, state champions.
Markus Thomas: Absolutely. 17 best team in the country. Better recognized. Yes, sir.
KOOL KEN: Hey, then life. We said it today, right? Life, you know, life is taking different directions. And nearly 40
Markus Thomas: We built different bro.
KOOL KEN: years later, man, I'm
Markus Thomas: Yeah.
KOOL KEN: sitting here hosting my own show. You got your own show, interviewing my former teammate. that's gonna be a college hall of famer. We're gonna talk that into existence. We're gonna
Markus Thomas: I'll get there one day.
KOOL KEN: talk it into existence, man.
Markus Thomas: I'll get there one day, something I can show my grandkids. They can laugh at it.
KOOL KEN: When you look at that whole journey, man, what are you most proud of?
Markus Thomas: Again, man, like the foundation we made though. I understand now how different it is. I make the joke, I say I was raised on hose water and freeze tag. You know what I mean?
KOOL KEN: Yeah, I know that's right.
Markus Thomas: We was growing up, we still, you know, bring you, bring you, when the lights come on, you come home. That type of stuff. You know, I could come pick you up in Woodlawn to somewhere, and the AeroStar, but
KOOL KEN: And the Astro. Right, the arrow star, yeah.
Markus Thomas: the point is like, your parents trusted me.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: You know I'm saying? Cause they knew I wouldn't do nothing stupid. So
KOOL KEN: Nah, at all.
Markus Thomas: just that familial thing, man. And that's what I'm most proud of, man, to this very day. Y'all can't, y'all can't, can't nobody tell me nothing about my high school, Nothing.
KOOL KEN: That's right.
Markus Thomas: I don't care if you was in Florida, Texas, California. Y'all ain't got nothing coming through Sharonville, Ohio. Y'all don't want that smoke.
KOOL KEN: They hey we can give it up, dog. They don't know.
Markus Thomas: Y'all didn't want that smoke, bro.
KOOL KEN: They ain't no man. We was raised different, man. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: We was raised different, But it shows and it manifests on what we're doing on days like today. Me and you talking, still calling, you know, to this day when I call Doobie, I don't say, I don't call Doobie. I was like, what's up roommate? You
KOOL KEN: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know that's right.
Markus Thomas: know I mean? Cause we still tight like that. You know what I mean?
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: So just to be able to have that familial relationships, they don't go nowhere, man. I still talk to Karp all the time. still, you know, talking to you all the time, even though I know.
KOOL KEN: And you look like your pops too, man. Tell your pops, Mom. Tell them to say hello. Hey, man, I see it, dog.
Markus Thomas: I will do that.
KOOL KEN: Hey, man, I'm getting weak. That's not but love and respect. Hey, we got gray hairs
Markus Thomas: Yeah, man, I can't do nothing about that, man. Just that's that's that.
KOOL KEN: now, man. We earned it. You we earned it, man. And it's time it's good.
Markus Thomas: We did, man. My dad used to tell me there's only one proven way to keep from getting old and that's to die young. So he would say, I'll take my rank.
KOOL KEN: That's right. And take these wrinkles, man.
Markus Thomas: So, Pop's still hanging on, man. He doing good. It's his birthday next month. So,
KOOL KEN: Perfect.
Markus Thomas: you know, he hanging in there, Yeah.
KOOL KEN: Shout out. Hey, before we get out here, man, the floor is yours. I I I always let you get the last word. you talk about whatever you want to talk about, you know, business, family life, whatever it may be. we
Markus Thomas: Yeah.
KOOL KEN: all talked about football. And it's about get your mind right. The name of the my podcast is Get Your Mind Right. what made you get your mind right and what keeps you going?
Markus Thomas: coming to the understanding, going back to like what I was saying earlier, when I finally stopped playing football and realized like, all right, you got to do something else and really coming to understand that I was prepared for
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: from high school through college and like, all right, this is, this is what you got to do. and it's not necessarily about you went to college and you got a degree and all that kind of stuff. Like, no, it's about being prepared. for everything else. It's about being prepared for the stuff that you don't see. We had that foundation and that stayed with us going through college and when we became young adults, the intergrown adults. So just being ready and just being smart, respectful, trying to stay humble. You know I mean? I got grandkids now, so I want them to see the best out of me. The things that I wanna see. working on my podcast, you know, if you like sports, if you like the Philadelphia Eagles, pro fan talk, that's the name of my podcast. but I do tell people, you know, cheesesteaks and Skyline chili, man, that's me. Cause I was, I bleed green, but I was born in the jungle. So go, go birds and who they all at the same time, man. I still represent, I still represent,
KOOL KEN: I know that's right. I know that's right.
Markus Thomas: man. So I just, dude, I just put the ground in every day, man. I'm on my podcast every. I'm streaming live almost every night. Pro fan talk on YouTube or I'm talking about Kelsey Mitchell and the Indiana Fever on my second channel, Pro Fan Hoops. I do all the WNBA stuff with you, Kelsey Mitchell, man.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. Yeah. Big shout out to Kelsey Mitchell. we talked about Mark, that's that's her father.
Markus Thomas: Yeah.
KOOL KEN: Kelsey had had a a phenomenal season this year.
Markus Thomas: Yeah.
KOOL KEN: she's had a phenomenal career.
Markus Thomas: Will she be the first Princeton athlete to be in the professional sports hall of fame?
KOOL KEN: is possible. Because I I I that's that's a great question because I
Markus Thomas: I don't think there's anybody else.
KOOL KEN: don't think it there is anyone. And no.
Markus Thomas: not at the pro level, that they might be, you know, we're a couple college hall of famers, but.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. But she's gonna yeah, she's definitely gonna be a W MBA Hall of Fame.
Markus Thomas: Yeah, she's definitely gonna be in the WB All-In-Fame. So she might be the first pro from Princeton to be a HOF. Shout out to Kels Mitchell, man. Kels
KOOL KEN: Yeah, yeah. Shout out to Kelsey. Yes.
Markus Thomas: Hoops.
KOOL KEN: Yes, yes, Kel's hoops. Hey, my brother. I appreciate you, man. I'm proud of you. Super proud
Markus Thomas: Appreciate you, man. Love you, brother.
KOOL KEN: of you. Love you to death, man. I just want to make sure that we gave you your flowers right here on the Get Your Mind Right Podcast. Cool, Ken.
Markus Thomas: I appreciate it man. try to I try to in my podcast all the time. I always tell people tell you people you love them. Why they here? Yeah, Love you more brother.
KOOL KEN: Much love, nothing but love and respect. You and your family, man. And to everybody watching and listening. Life is precious. Don't
Markus Thomas: Yes, sir.
KOOL KEN: fold. Get your mind right. Marcus Thomas.
Markus Thomas: Keep driving. Yes, sir.
KOOL KEN: Hey, man. Love you, man. Peace. Sign out.
Markus Thomas: Love you back, brother. Appreciate you.
KOOL KEN: Yes, sir. Peace.
Markus Thomas: Yes, sir.
KOOL KEN: We battled together. Part of the 1987 Princeton Viking State Championship football team. And you might remember another one of our teammates, Super Bowl champion Ron Carpenter. He joined me back in season one, episode five. But tonight, we're here to give my guy Marcus Thomas his flowers. Y'all
Markus Thomas: What's good, what's good.
KOOL KEN: know how I do, man. We give him his flowers, we clap it up for him. So I want y'all to give him a round of applause. Get your clap on, and we welcome.
Markus Thomas: What's good, what's good brother? Good to hear from you, man. Good to see you, man.
KOOL KEN: Great to hear from you, great to see you, Marcus. You you were always one of those when you look back on it, you were a good kid, man. You know what I mean? A a a solid individual. A good person.
Markus Thomas: tried to be.
KOOL KEN: you you were super cool, man. You you were super cool. You you were one of the the guys we we all got along with, looked up to. you and your sister Mel. We was all everybody was cool, man.
Markus Thomas: Yeah. Yeah, man.
KOOL KEN: Yeah, we we enjoyed I I definitely enjoyed hanging out with you the times that we got an opportunity to spend time with you.
Markus Thomas: Yeah, man. Listen, man, me and Melny talk about this all the time. I talk to my sister every day. my twin, my twin sis, my twin sis,
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm. Yeah, big shout out, Melanie. Shout out to Melanie. Yeah, number love.
Markus Thomas: we always, we do, we always talk about rolling, rolling in big blue. We had that big arrow star, dog. We used to, we used to roll through Evendale, roll through Lincoln Heights, roll through Woodlawn, picking up
KOOL KEN: Right. Yes. Pick up everybody. Yep. Yep.
Markus Thomas: everybody, rolling, rolling to the parties eight deep.
KOOL KEN: Yes.
Markus Thomas: and that mini Van dude, that's how we did it, man. know, know, dad
KOOL KEN: Yeah, sure did. Sure did. Uhhuh.
Markus Thomas: had us, he gave us a lot of trust, man. And that's one of the things that I always remember. I always remembered and appreciated, like everybody had respect for my parents and especially my dad, cause my dad was involved.
KOOL KEN: Yes.
Markus Thomas: I don't know if people realized that Donald Darby, that was my godfather. Yeah.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm. Superintendent.
Markus Thomas: That's my uncle Don. That was my godfather. I saw him a couple of months ago. My auntie Cheryl, his wife, brought him up here as a trip to Atlantic City and she called me so I met him down there for dinner. And it was
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: the first, because I don't really get a chance to get home a lot, but it was a good chance to see him and spend time with him, man. So that was fun to do. But yeah, man, always had people looking out for me, man.
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: And my dad was like, he's the knucklehead, so if he give you problems. You you call Don, Don will call me and we'll get it handled, man. So I ain't really have no room to screw around like that. Yeah.
KOOL KEN: Nah, you you just didn't know. You was you were you were cool. I was a knucklehead, you know what I'm saying?
Markus Thomas: You
KOOL KEN: Hey, hey, but I I wanna brag on you for a second, right? So that that that's what I do. I I like to brag. And and the one thing I always point out, and it's it's so dope to to be able to look back and and actually know where you came from.
Markus Thomas: Mm-hmm.
KOOL KEN: see that you became one of the greatest running backs at EKU Eastern Kentucky University. That's EKU. One of the best in EKU's history. how you you r rushed for over five thousand yards in at college?
Markus Thomas: Five, what was it? 57, 22 or something like that. I can't even remember what it was. Dude, could,
KOOL KEN: You you feel me? All American.
Markus Thomas: that was one of the things that I would always, I was never, I never talked smack. I wasn't that type of dude. Yeah, but
KOOL KEN: No you didn't. Nah, you ran hard though, boy.
Markus Thomas: I would tell people like I could tote that rock. I ended up like, I was like 6.2 yards per carry for my career, dude.
KOOL KEN: Wow. And and how how tall are you? Just tell. And how much did you weigh in college? Yeah.
Markus Thomas: I'm about five, 10 and a half. In college, in college I was anywhere between 195 and 205. I was not a big dude. So.
KOOL KEN: Gotcha. Yeah. Yeah. And and ripping on them like but you ran hard though. You ran like a big dude.
Markus Thomas: Yeah, I was a late bloomer, dude. I didn't start playing football until I was 10.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: When like, I'm from Sensei, born and raised in Sensei. We was born, lived out in College Hill. Dude,
KOOL KEN: Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: fun fact, man, I grew up with Ken Griffey Jr. We all went to school together. Griff Jr., his little brother, Craig, we
KOOL KEN: Gotcha. Right, right. Yes.
Markus Thomas: went to this place in College Hill. It was called Central Baptist.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: Me and Melanie was in kindergarten. His little brother, Craig,
KOOL KEN: Yeah, we
Markus Thomas: No, we were in first grade. Craig was in kindergarten. Ken was in second grade.
KOOL KEN: Gotcha.
Markus Thomas: So, and then my dad moved us to, we moved to Cleveland for about eight
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: months. And then we moved to St. Louis.
KOOL KEN: Gotcha.
Markus Thomas: And St. Louis was like the formative years. Cause we was like from
KOOL KEN: Gotcha.
Markus Thomas: 78 to 84. And then I remember dad was working for Ford Motor Company. He got promoted. And I remember we had like a little family meeting. He was like, all right, we can either go to Seattle or we can go back home to Cincinnati. And
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: we were like, well, shoot, we want to go back home.
KOOL KEN: I know that's right.
Markus Thomas: And my cousin, my cousin Carmen, she was already at Princeton. So it was already automatic. I was like, we want to go to Princeton, period.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. When did y'all come back? You were you in the tenth grade when y'all came back or ninth grade?
Markus Thomas: Ninth grade, 84.
KOOL KEN: Okay, yeah, yeah.
Markus Thomas: We came back at 84. And like, yeah, man, it was, I had just started playing football in St. Louis. So
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: I always remember like that, I always remember our freshman year, we was playing the game. Mr. Smith was our coach.
KOOL KEN: Shout out to Ali Smith, Mr. Smith.
Markus Thomas: Yo, and I think we lost the game.
KOOL KEN: Mm.
Markus Thomas: And I remember seeing Charlie Williams cry.
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: And I was like, why they crying? Because what I
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: didn't understand was, you know, I'm the new guy in town. So I didn't understand that they had been playing from wood lawn since they was like eight, nine years old. I didn't understand all of
KOOL KEN: Yeah. Yeah, I ain't lose, but damn.
Markus Thomas: that. And I didn't understand that group had like never lost. And we, remember if it was our freshman year or sophomore. No, it had to be freshmen. And I just remember, I saw Charlie Williams crying and I was like, why are they crying? Didn't know that they had like almost never lost a game, you know? And I was like, well, shoot, when I started playing, we didn't win a game. this this wasn't foreign to me, but yeah,
KOOL KEN: Yeah, you was you was used to
Markus Thomas: I was used to it. But just coming into, but even then I knew that that group we was with was special. for whatever reason. then I always remember I was playing nose guard, because that's what I played when I started playing football. I was nose guard and fullback. I didn't carry the ball a lot. I just was having fun playing. And
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: then I'll never forget, you know, when you go into your sophomore year, you got to go talk to Kuz. You know, that was the big meeting,
KOOL KEN: Right. Right.
Markus Thomas: you know? And man, Kuzo was like, well, what do you want to do when you come to varsity? And I was like, I want to be a running back. And he looked at me like I had three heads.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: He was like, really? And I was like, yeah. And that's when I started playing running back. And then that sophomore year, and I remember everybody telling me like, yo, Marcus ain't got no moves, but that joker run hard.
KOOL KEN: Yeah, you ain't you what you you would just hit that hole and go. And that's what
Markus Thomas: Yeah.
KOOL KEN: made you special though, man. You you didn't have that jiggy. But you had speed. Yeah, you had speed.
Markus Thomas: Nah, I didn't get that till late. I was a late bloomer when it come to that.
KOOL KEN: yeah.
Markus Thomas: Yeah. And then, and then, and you know what? That sophomore year, you know, he used to, we used to meet in the locker room and he would play that show on our age now. He would play the reel to reel NFL films joint.
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: And I saw, it was that one with Gale Serres. And when he said, all I need is 18 inches. That's when I started wearing number 40. After
KOOL KEN: Number forty, you're right.
Markus Thomas: I saw that, I was like, that's me right there. And
KOOL KEN: You.
Markus Thomas: that's how I modeled my style after, like Gale says. So,
KOOL KEN: Wow. Wow. Makes sense.
Markus Thomas: shout out to Princeton High School, man. To this day, man, that's like, hey, put your hand over your heart every time you say it, You know what I'm saying? We build different,
KOOL KEN: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: We build different, bro.
KOOL KEN: They're different. And you know this week, so the when this by the time this airs, homecoming week will be got the whole
Markus Thomas: The reunion, yeah, yeah.
KOOL KEN: the all all all class reunion this weekend coming up. brand new stadium, brand new
Markus Thomas: Wow.
KOOL KEN: field, everything. So it's the grand opening this Friday. Yes.
Markus Thomas: Nice. Nice.
KOOL KEN: It would be dope if you were able to make it down. I know you can't. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: Man, I wish I could, man. I really wish I could. this is like, this is my, for my job, this is my busy season.
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: Cause we getting ready for, I'm kind of like, I'm in the classic car industry. So
KOOL KEN: Okay.
Markus Thomas: we getting ready for this big, they have a big car show in Vegas every November called SEMA. So my company is getting ready for that. So everybody's running around crazy. So this is like my seriously busy season. So
KOOL KEN: Okay.
Markus Thomas: like I said, I don't really get a chance to get home often. You know what I mean? So I always miss all of this stuff. But I always see the pictures, always hear about it. I know my sister went one year. She told
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: me all about it, put me on FaceTime and all that kind of stuff. Last time I was
KOOL KEN: Right, right.
Markus Thomas: home was the big class reunion we had. I don't even know how many years ago that was, but it was a minute. Cause I couldn't even come home for the Hall of Fame thing. I couldn't make it.
KOOL KEN: Right, right, yeah. We gotta we gotta get you home, man, one of these days.
Markus Thomas: Yeah.
KOOL KEN: big shout out to Doobie, man. Doobie put a lot of work into the the all class reunion. Yep, he he
Markus Thomas: Roommate. That's my roommate right there.
KOOL KEN: doing great things, man. And have you seen Sterling? Yeah.
Markus Thomas: Man, I called Doobie over the summer and
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: I was trying to get him to hook me up with Sterling so I could get Sterling on the podcast before he went out to Texas.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. To tax. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: But they scheduled running back and forth and I understand how it is when you got a kid in college and
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: what they doing now with the transfers and the NIL, this is a whole new ball game. So I was like, hey. I understand if it can't happen. And he just got busy, man, and we couldn't line up the schedules, man. But I've been checking him out.
KOOL KEN: Yeah, big shout out to Sterling. We're gonna get him on both our podcasts, you know. And
Markus Thomas: Yeah, man. For sure.
KOOL KEN: I'm gonna tell the people about your podcast as well. But I want you to talk a little bit more about your career. we talked about Princeton, you getting to Ohio. We talked about EKU a little bit.
Markus Thomas: Absolutely. Roy Kidd.
KOOL KEN: Yeah, a are you in the college football hall of fame?
Markus Thomas: I'm a nominee. I'm
KOOL KEN: Nominee, okay, okay.
Markus Thomas: a nominee. I've been on the ballot for probably the past 15 years.
KOOL KEN: So we gotta make sure we get Marcus in there, y'all. If you watching, make sure you vote for the
Markus Thomas: Yeah.
KOOL KEN: twenty twenty six College Football Hall of Fame. Get Marcus
Markus Thomas: When I left,
KOOL KEN: in there.
Markus Thomas: when I graduated from Eastern, I left as one AA all-time leading Russian in history. And
KOOL KEN: Wow. Wow.
Markus Thomas: then about, I want to say it was like maybe 10 years later, it was some
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: kid from Maine that broke that record.
KOOL KEN: Okay.
Markus Thomas: So when I left, I was the all-time leader. And then,
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: you know, subsequently somebody broke that, but you know, I did my thing. I still got all the EKU's record though. So.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. I know yeah. I know that's right.
Markus Thomas: And the way they throw the ball now is that record might not ever get broken. They just don't run enough anymore.
KOOL KEN: So after after college, Where'd you go?
Markus Thomas: I got, I signed as a free agent with the Eagles and made the squad,
KOOL KEN: Okay. Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: did it the hard way, made it as a undrafted free agent.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: And I was up there for 93 and 94. Then I got released. They drafted this kid named Charlie Garner from Tennessee. And that man was a beast.
KOOL KEN: Mm. Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: But I ended up getting released. Then I bounced around a little bit, went to a couple of camps, ended up going to the world league when they revamped the world league. And I was out there in Scotland with the Scottish Claymores and then went there for three years. That second year over there, we won the championship, we won the world bowl.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: So that was a lot of fun. And then after that, went up to, I signed with Canada, signed
KOOL KEN: Uh-huh.
Markus Thomas: up with the Hamilton Thai Cats.
KOOL KEN: Wow.
Markus Thomas: So went up there, that didn't end well.
KOOL KEN: Hmm.
Markus Thomas: And that's when things like I had to, was in the back of my mind. I'm making, I'm like, okay, I gotta start making some grown folks decisions. Cause I'm 27 years old, about to be 28.
KOOL KEN: Right.
Markus Thomas: And I know this is a young man's game. And I'm, you know, by that time I know how the sausage is made. You know I'm saying?
KOOL KEN: Right, right, right.
Markus Thomas: And then what happened was the, I signed with Hamilton
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: and My wife had a good job in Philly. We hadn't been married long. Matter fact, we were still newlyweds and she wanted to come up to Canada with me.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: Me knowing how the business is, I'm like, I don't know if that's a good idea, especially cause she had a really good job. She's been in Independence Blue Cross, Blue Shield, down here in Philly. She was doing her thing. when I made the squad, They made me a deal. said, if you make the team, we'll give you a starters bonus. We'll give you a couple extra hundred bucks or whatever. So I said, okay. So
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: I told my wife, said, listen, if I make the squad, gonna give me a little bit of extra change and then that'll at least supplement a little bit. You know what
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: I mean? So if I make the squad, come on up and you know, we'll figure it out. Long story short, I made the team. It was a guy on the squad. Another running back had been on for years. They cut him. I was on. then the team gets off to like a one and six start.
KOOL KEN: Mm.
Markus Thomas: So we going into week eight. Dude calls me in the office and I'm thinking this was regular old meeting with the offensive coach or whatever and they give me a pink slip.
KOOL KEN: Dang.
Markus Thomas: And I'm like, wait, what, huh? And then I had just got an apartment. I had signed a six month lease for an apartment on Lake Ontario. So
KOOL KEN: Wow. Wow.
Markus Thomas: luckily we had this, this lady looked like a cartoon character, man. She looked like, you ever seen that cartoon, Courage the Cowly Dog?
KOOL KEN: No, I don't think so.
Markus Thomas: So some of y'all listening, y'all know what I'm talking about. There's a character on that cartoon, her name is Muriel. She's
KOOL KEN: I'm gonna have to look that up.
Markus Thomas: an old, old white woman with bleach blonde, like a bleach blonde Afro. And wore glasses. the, once you see it, you'll understand what I'm talking about. But this is what this woman reminded me of. She was the leasing agent for that building. She
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: let me break my lease.
KOOL KEN: Wow.
Markus Thomas: That's how much of it, she was a big fan of the Thai cats. She was really nice to me. And I went and talked with her and I was like, I said, I apologize. They just cut me. So I played the game. I stayed up there for about another two, three weeks on the phone with the agent. hearing anything
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: and all of that kind of stuff. you know, again, I know how the sausage is made. So if my agent is not getting any bites, I know what it is. So I'm like, okay. We paying for an apartment in Canada, a house in Jersey, and we both unemployed.
KOOL KEN: But
Markus Thomas: So I'm like, that's what I was like, I gotta put my big boy pants on and I gotta make a decision. So lady let me break my lease. She was nice enough to let me break my, I just signed a six month lease, not even a month ago,
KOOL KEN: Mm.
Markus Thomas: not even a month prior. And we got out of there. And I didn't know what I was gonna do. So I was like, well, I graduated on time, got my degree. Let me start pounding the pavement and what I studied for. At that time, me and Karp was still tight. I mean, we still tight to this day, but
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: he had called me and he was like, yo, he's like, you thinking about the XFL? And I was like, man, I don't know. I don't wanna, at that time, my head was like, I don't wanna go through all of this training, get
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: myself ready, get myself in game shape. And then you go down there and then you gotta deal with the politics again and all of that type of stuff. So I was like, him and that harm with that. And then one day he said, listen, he said, fill out the application. They paying good money and just go for what you know.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: So I filled out the application. had driven to a Barnes and Noble and I was sitting in the parking lot on the phone with my wife and she was like, well, what do you want to do? She was like, get it out your system. She was like, if you still want to play, I will support you, but I don't want it like you stopping because I want you to stop. She said, get
KOOL KEN: All right.
Markus Thomas: it. If you want to play, go play, get it out of your system.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: And I sat there in that parking lot by myself probably for about an hour. And then I ended up ripping it up.
KOOL KEN: Hm.
Markus Thomas: I was like, I said, nope. I said, I don't want to go through all of that nonsense again for maybe. Because
KOOL KEN: Right, right, right.
Markus Thomas: a lot of times you learn, and if you've talked to anybody that's been involved with any type of professional sports, hell, any type of collegiate sports. It's a lot of politics involved and it's a lot of things that happen that are out of your control. And sometimes you might be the best person there and you still get screwed. So after the situation that happened in Canada, I was just like, you know what? No, I'm almost 28 years old. I don't want to be one of these dudes, 28, 29, 30 years old, still trying to get on the team because it's probably not going happen. So I just made the decision. I was like, let me stop. Got my job and my degree. was a mechanical design degree. So I just started in my field. The one thing that I wish I would have done differently. I don't really regret it, but hindsight being 2020. Because when you pull the emergency stop on something like that in your life that you've been doing since you was 10 years old,
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: it's hard to just break away from it. Very, very difficult. What
KOOL KEN: Right, right, right.
Markus Thomas: I wish I would have done differently was as soon as I stopped playing, As soon as I stopped playing, wish I would have had the wherewithal to go get a job in coaching immediately. Immediately.
KOOL KEN: Right, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Markus Thomas: But the whole situation with Canada gave me such a bad taste in my mouth. I was like, I need to step away from this for a
KOOL KEN: Mm.
Markus Thomas: minute. And then I did. I didn't really start doing anything with football related. I bet you I stepped away from the game for a good five, six years.
KOOL KEN: Hm.
Markus Thomas: I didn't go to any Eagles functions and Like I didn't do any of that. And then what got me back into it was my nephew, shout out to my nephew, Randy Bell, who plays basketball overseas now. I went to one of his football games
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: and I'm watching the football game. And of course, like family members and parents, we all talking and do this and do that. And why are they doing this? And why ain't they letting them do that? And I said, you know what? Nope. I said, nope. I said, cause if I'm talking, I could be coaching.
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: So the next year I volunteered to be a coach, one of the assistant coaches in the football club, just so I could coach him. And you're
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: only supposed to get him for two years.
KOOL KEN: Right.
Markus Thomas: So I coached him for two years and then he decided he didn't want to play anymore. But I stayed with the group I was with. I ended up staying coaching with them kids for like 10 years. And I enjoyed it. And that's what really got me back in the game. And then in the course of doing that, the Eagles started getting back in touch with alumni and stuff like that. And they started having functions. So slowly, but surely I got back involved with the Eagles and then NFL alumni and all of that type of stuff. it was a slow grind, I wish I would have immediately got into coaching, like
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: soon as I stopped. Cause that would have helped. Cause it's a mental juggle. You got to juggle some things when you pull that emergency break. You you got to deal with the questions and
KOOL KEN: Thank you.
Markus Thomas: you know, people think they know you. Why you stop playing? What happened to all the money? And I was like, you don't know how this work, do you? So,
KOOL KEN: Right, right,
Markus Thomas: and you get, you kind of get sick of answering all them questions. And then you get the ignorant people that think they know everything and then they
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: don't. And then ultimately, now this is funny. You always come to a situation and this is funny. This is not even really serious. You get people that'll say, they find out your history eventually, right?
KOOL KEN: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: Hey man, why don't you come out and like, we playing like touch football on Sunday. I'm like, no, no, no, no, no, no, we not doing that. They did. I had a couple
KOOL KEN: They be asking you that? What?
Markus Thomas: of people ask me that when they, they either want you to come play basketball or
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: they want you to come play, you know, football in the park or something like that, you know? And
KOOL KEN: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Markus Thomas: I was like, I can't do that, man. They're like, come on, dog, you know? And I was like, nah, I come not, why not? And I was like,
KOOL KEN: Yeah. It's over. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: Because, well, no, no, because I was still in the gym. I was still in shape. I said, the problem is, number one, I don't play basketball. Never been good at basketball. And every time I play basketball, I end up coming down on somebody's ankle, twisting mine, and I'm pissed off. So
KOOL KEN: Right.
Markus Thomas: we don't do basketball. I said, I said, football, whether you playing two-hand touch, seven-on-seven, whatever you do, eventually somebody's gonna figure out that I used to play ball. Then I become the target.
KOOL KEN: Then they're gonna try to yep.
Markus Thomas: I'd be, boy, he used to play for the Eagles. And so if I beat him, I used to play pro ball, so I'm supposed to beat him. But if I get beat, I never hit an NW. So I was like, and then everybody wanna get extra with you. You know what I mean? So I was like, no, like, no, we're not, no, no, thank you.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. Yeah, you just avoided it. There ain't nothing wrong with that.
Markus Thomas: So, but yeah, man, just once I got back into kids and, you know, the... everything going on with the Eagles. go to the alumni events
KOOL KEN: Yeah, yeah.
Markus Thomas: and just kind of eased into it, man. So it was cool. It was a good transition, learned a lot. Still got all my moments. Go ahead.
KOOL KEN: I wanted to ask you real quick and and kinda take it back 'cause we went through the Eagles, went and the end of the career. but I I kinda wanna go back a little bit. Cause you you was going to the NFL, was that a dream of yours? Was it a dream? Yeah.
Markus Thomas: Absolutely. For me, I didn't think about it. I didn't understand or think it was a reality until
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: maybe going into my junior year in college.
KOOL KEN: Okay.
Markus Thomas: Because now I'm putting numbers up that's comparable with, that's some of the best in the country ever. So
KOOL KEN: Right. Right. Ever.
Markus Thomas: I'm like, okay, then I'm looking back on the guys that I played with,
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: Myron Guyton. Super Bowl with the Giants. Then
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: he plays with the Patriots. First rookie, my only guy he can play to Eastern Kentucky, first rookie to start for Bill Parcells.
KOOL KEN: Who who who was your coach at EKU? Okay.
Markus Thomas: Roy Kidd, Roy Kidd, passed away a couple years ago. So the guys that I was playing with, Tim Lester. Tim Lester
KOOL KEN: Yeah, I heard his name.
Markus Thomas: was, most people know Tim Lester. He passed away a couple of years ago. They called him the bus driver because he, yes, he was the fullback for Jerome Bettis. So
KOOL KEN: Did he play for Pittsburgh? Who did he play for Okay, yeah, yeah, I don't Yeah, okay, okay, okay.
Markus Thomas: they, cause he was in LA
KOOL KEN: Mm.
Markus Thomas: with the Rams when Bettis was there. And then when Bettis went to Pittsburgh, they picked him up in Pittsburgh too. They called him the bus driver cause he was always blocked.
KOOL KEN: Yeah, that's what's up.
Markus Thomas: Tim was the starting tailback when we got to EKU.
KOOL KEN: Hmm.
Markus Thomas: So it was our true freshman year, there was this guy named Elroy Harris. ended up playing for Seattle. And then, yeah, he was a tailback, little short dude
KOOL KEN: He's a running back too, right?
Markus Thomas: with thick thighs that was running over everybody.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: Then Tim Lester came in and Tim was the starting tailback. I was the backup.
KOOL KEN: Okay.
Markus Thomas: We played Delaware State. It was like 98 degrees. It was hot as all get out. And Tim tore his knee, tore his ACL.
KOOL KEN: Hmm, mm.
Markus Thomas: And when I stepped on the field, I never stepped off.
KOOL KEN: I know that's right.
Markus Thomas: That's when I took over. then I was playing so well that when Tim got healthy the next year, they moved him to fullback.
KOOL KEN: Hmm.
Markus Thomas: So he ended up being my block. So...
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: And like I said, I just never stepped off the field and I just kept getting better and better, more confidence, all that type of stuff, man. Cause it was very similar to the experience I had at Princeton because
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: nobody knew who I was. I was an outsider. We had moved back. So I wasn't known with the Woodlawn, Evendale, Lincoln Heights crew. I was the outsider.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. Right.
Markus Thomas: So I had to earn my strikes. You know I'm saying? was the same thing when I got down to Eastern Kentucky, I was a, I was a decent running back from Cincinnati in a group of people from Florida, Georgia, all of those people. The rumor was all of the, most of the athletes at Eastern Kentucky were from Georgia and Florida. And they were the athletes that the university of Miami, Florida state, university of Florida, those were the athletes that didn't have the grades to go to them big schools. They had the talent. But they, so you had that kind of pedigree coming up from the South and them boys could ball. That's why we were so good.
KOOL KEN: Yeah, I know that's right.
Markus Thomas: And it was kind of the same thing, man. When I got my opportunity, I made the most of
KOOL KEN: So speaking on on what you just said about the guys from Florida, Georgia, everywhere, you being
Markus Thomas: Hmm
KOOL KEN: from Ohio, What were the differences from being a high school state champion, going to EKU, right? Becoming the all-time leading rusher in college, and then going to the NFL. Like those changes, but how was that transition? Like getting there and looking back on your career and then being an NFL player?
Markus Thomas: It's not. In my opinion, it's a maturity thing.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: It's a maturity and a confidence thing. I was lucky enough when we went down to Princeton, we went down to, when I went to Eastern Kentucky, we were at Eastern Kentucky in force. So
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: it was a lot of Princeton High School at EKU. Me, Doobie, Ron Woods, Dwayne Woods, Mark Mitchell, Maurice Calhoun came down there. We came in force. So it was very comforting. to have your homeboys down there, people you play with, people. So that was a comfort thing. And it's all about getting in there, being confident. Our quarterback was named Lorenzo Fields and Duby was the heir apparent, but they tried
KOOL KEN: Okay.
Markus Thomas: to bring this kid in from the University of Louisville, because they wanted us to throw a little bit more. And they kind of ushered, tried to usher Duby out the way. And it didn't really help because Duby broke his wrist.
KOOL KEN: Hm.
Markus Thomas: Lorenzo broke his ankle. Doobie got in the game. We ended up winning the game. So it was like, the, I never forget that. Doob came in the game. He calling the huddle and it's a pitch to me. And I'm like, roommate, this just like how we used to do it back at the crib. Let's go. Like I
KOOL KEN: Right, right.
Markus Thomas: was like, it's we bringing it back. And then a couple of plays later, he ends up breaking his wrist.
KOOL KEN: Hm.
Markus Thomas: And then that took him out. And then they put the other kid in and they wanted to keep him in because he was a transfer from Louisville. He was like six foot two, had a decent arm. So they wanted that part of it. So never did work out quite that way. But I'm saying all I have to say, just being amongst your homeboys, having Big Mark down there, Mark Mitchell, was
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: very, it gave you lot of confidence because you knew you were surrounded by family basically.
KOOL KEN: Right. Big pros too, big bros.
Markus Thomas: Yeah, man. Mark Mitchell. Mark Mitchell was huge in my career. A lot of people don't know this, man. Mark Mitchell was the reason I went to Eastern Kentucky.
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: You know, back in the day, when you went to college, what's the first place you went when you finally got home? You went to school.
KOOL KEN: Right.
Markus Thomas: Jumped in the weight room, you was going to get a workout, you going to talk to Mr. Corson, you going to talk to Mr. Mancuso, you going to, you know. Talk to Mr. Moody, everybody, all of our coaches, because we was tight like that. So Mark Mitchell was back home, I don't know if he's on a, whenever it was, spring break or whatever it was, and he was like, yo, you signed with anybody yet? And I was like, nah, because I had
KOOL KEN: Okay.
Markus Thomas: a scheduled to go to University of Toledo. I had already
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: visited Indiana State, because Marvin Bullock was down there.
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: So I was most likely gonna sign with either Indiana State or Toledo. Mark was like,
KOOL KEN: Got it.
Markus Thomas: well, why don't you come on down to Richmond this weekend? I'll take you down there and I can introduce you to Coach Kidd. So I'm like, okay. Dude,
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: that was on a hump. We just happened to see each other in the locker room.
KOOL KEN: Wow.
Markus Thomas: I don't think he was looking for me and I wasn't looking for him. And
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: I was like, all right, so roll down there with Mark. Met Coach Kee, I'm seeing all the trophies, Ohio Valley Conference champions and this, that, the third. Mind you, this is 1987.
KOOL KEN: Right.
Markus Thomas: They had won a national championship in 1982.
KOOL KEN: Hm.
Markus Thomas: So that's still in, I can still see that happen. That's still recent. You know what I'm saying?
KOOL KEN: Right. Yeah, right. Right. Correct.
Markus Thomas: So I was like, okay. And then Coach Kee was like, he said, Marcus, he said, we would have recruited you, but we didn't think we could get you.
KOOL KEN: Mm.
Markus Thomas: But. If you want to come here and play football and get a chance to, you know, win some games, we'd love to have you." And I was like, I said, okay, is this how this is happening? Are you offering me a scholarship? He was like, sure, we'd love to have you play. And I like, I wasn't ready for it. was like, so like I had to make sure like you offered me a whole scholarship, partial, like how was this working? I didn't know. He
KOOL KEN: Right, right, right. Right. Right.
Markus Thomas: said, we'll give you a full scholarship. Come down here and play for us. That's how I ended up signing with Eastern Kentucky, because of Mark Mitchell. Cause I saw Mark Mitchell in the weight room. Sat out the big mark, man. And then,
KOOL KEN: Shout out to Mark, man. We miss you. Miss and love, Mark, man.
Markus Thomas: and then I always got to the story. My best game as a college player versus Marshall, 37 carries 300 yards.
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: 37 carries, 300 yards. My first carry in that game, Mark, I believe, was a starting right guard.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: In the huddle, Mark looked at me, he just said, just follow me. Rest is history, bro. And
KOOL KEN: Yes' history, man.
Markus Thomas: then, you know, going to other stuff when I was pledging Alpha and all that kind of stuff, Mark was the big grows and, you know, Mark packed us in his red Jetta and drove us down to Memphis. Me, Doobie, Kelly Blunt, we was all part of his wedding. We was all in his wedding. What
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: you doing this weekend? We all in the summer school. What you doing this weekend? Come on down to Memphis with me. I'm getting married. Huh?
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: Dude, we made that trip down there and we was all part of his wedding,
KOOL KEN: I know that's right. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: Mark was the big homie, man. Mark kept us in line, bro.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. Literally. He he was he was one of a kind, man.
Markus Thomas: Yeah, absolutely.
KOOL KEN: Definitely. And Mark Marvin is what I mean, yeah, Yeah, Mark Bullock as well. Miss him too.
Markus Thomas: Yeah.
KOOL KEN: you just brought up some great names, some Princeton greats that we all knew.
Markus Thomas: Absolutely,
KOOL KEN: I I knew this was gonna be a great interview with you and and it's awesome to talk about all this stuff. And can I can I can I ask you a couple more questions? Because we
Markus Thomas: Sure.
KOOL KEN: normally go about 30 minutes or whatnot, but yeah,
Markus Thomas: Let's go man, I got nothing but time bro, let's do it.
KOOL KEN: good man, because we we we talked about a lot. And the one thing we already I kind of hit on it, but I want to listeners to understand about you being nominated to the College Football Hall of Fame. you've been on the ballot, you said, for 15 years. Somewhere around there, right? I
Markus Thomas: somewhere around there, it's been a minute. Yeah.
KOOL KEN: I was just made privy to it last year. Last year I saw it come through and I voted. I I was so proud. I'm so proud of you, man. And I
Markus Thomas: I appreciate it, man.
KOOL KEN: I I love to give the flowers to the people. Everybody say, Man, you know so many people. I'll I'll tell, yeah, he played in the NFL. He played, yeah, I played with them, da da da. They be like, man, you don't know them. You feel me? Yeah. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: Man, don't, listen man, don't sleep on our high school, bro. We was, we would do from Shane Curry to, to Karp, me, D-Graph.
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: The funny thing about our class was I was the late bloomer, Karp got hurt and D-Graph was the kicker.
KOOL KEN: Facts.
Markus Thomas: And so we were probably the three most unlikely people to make it to the show.
KOOL KEN: To make it to the NFL. You weren't one, you you your name going wasn't questionable at all. Ron worked so hard, worked his butt off to make
Markus Thomas: Yay, dude.
KOOL KEN: it through. we saw him play when it cause we grew up playing with Ron.
Markus Thomas: Yeah.
KOOL KEN: So we we knew. but Alan when you
Markus Thomas: D-Grav, boy, he came out of...
KOOL KEN: see that kind he had the size.
Markus Thomas: Zach.
KOOL KEN: He played soccer, he was a kicker, and then track speed. But so check this,
Markus Thomas: He had that track speed, bro. You can't teach speed.
KOOL KEN: check this quick, quick story. I'm in I'm at the University of Wisconsin up in Madison, right?
Markus Thomas: Mm-hmm.
KOOL KEN: wrestling. And I go to the game because Ohio State came, they played up in Wisconsin this day.
Markus Thomas: All right.
KOOL KEN: I go down on like close to the field, you got out, because I saw I was like, Al. He's on the Ohio State football team.
Markus Thomas: Yeah.
KOOL KEN: I said, You kicking? He's like, No, I'm wide receiver.
Markus Thomas: I received it, bro.
KOOL KEN: Craig Griffey, you just mentioned him earlier.
Markus Thomas: Yeah.
KOOL KEN: He was on the team as well as Carlos, Carlos Britton. Carlos Britton. Yeah, Carlos
Markus Thomas: Carlos, what was it Carlos? Britain, yeah, yeah.
KOOL KEN: Britton. They was all on the team, man. I was standing, they wasn't getting in the game. so I'm down there on the wall. They was like, what you doing up here, man? So that that's a that's one of my college memories, being able to see
Markus Thomas: Yeah, man, had some,
KOOL KEN: them up there.
Markus Thomas: man, we had some rippers at Princeton, bro. We had some bro,
KOOL KEN: Yeah. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: and then like Al D, man, like people forget how fast Alan was. Soccer,
KOOL KEN: Alan was fast. He was an athlete. He played soccer. You know what I mean?
Markus Thomas: and then, you know, he stayed champion when he was a freshman. He was on the mile relay. And
KOOL KEN: Right. Right. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: then when he went up to, when he went up to old state, okay, he's 6'2 and a half
KOOL KEN: Right.
Markus Thomas: and run a four, low four three. Cause he'd been running
KOOL KEN: Corruption.
Markus Thomas: track his whole life. And of course, and then they put him in the weight room and then all of sudden he came back jacked. Yeah. Yup.
KOOL KEN: He was Jack, dawg. He was Jack.
Markus Thomas: Absolutely, man.
KOOL KEN: So
Markus Thomas: One time, bro. What's up?
KOOL KEN: If the 17-year-old Marcus Thomas sitting in that Princet locker room
Markus Thomas: Yeah.
KOOL KEN: could see where his name is today, what would you tell that kid?
Markus Thomas: man, you know what? Just, you know what, just keep grinding. Don't worry about nobody else. Cause I had to go through that. And I'm sure every kid goes through their version of this, but because we were outsiders, I was always the butt of the jokes. Cause I was
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: the nerdy kid. I'm moving back. I remember coming back. I just got rid of the Jerry curl. So they was killing me. Skip Hunt and all them jokers was killing me in the hallways, bro.
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: But you learn to get thick skin. You know what I mean?
KOOL KEN: Yeah. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: One of the biggest lessons of my life, junior year, we playing Fairfield and I fumbled that ball on
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: like the 10 yard line. And... I remember in the locker room, Marvin was like, you all right? Where was that pitch at? And I was like, God, I was a little off. Man, Marvin was about to kill me. But the thing was that following Monday, I had to go to school and had to walk down them hallways and everybody mean mugging. And you can't, you gotta deal with it. And that, for me, that was one of the big life lessons. Like, if I can walk through the hallways after that, because you know how football was at our school. And I'm the reason why we lost a game. we, man, you grow up real quick and you make it up in your mind like, nah, I ain't gonna never feel like this again. And for me, that was the start of it. Really putting in time, being dedicated in the weight room and then being surrounded by all of those people. So I would just, if I'm gonna tell my, if my old self gonna talk to my young self, just keep grinding. Don't worry about what anybody else says. Keep grinding and it'll happen for
KOOL KEN: Definitely will. Gotta believe. So
Markus Thomas: Yeah, man. Don't stop.
KOOL KEN: and what would that same 17-year-old kid? What would he tell Marcus Thomas today? After football. So having all those accolades and knowing it's gonna be life after football. And when there's no football involved, what would you say?
Markus Thomas: You know what? wouldn't, I don't know. wouldn't, I really wouldn't change anything
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: because what I do now, right now, what I'm doing for my day to day, get, technically I counted, I got two jobs. My nine to five job that I get paid for, that they let me work from home.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: And I've been at this company for going on 16 years now.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: my podcast, which I consider that a job, but
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: I'm doing everything that I'm doing right now, started at Princeton. My ninth grade, I'm in Mr. Daly's class doing architecture.
KOOL KEN: I know that's right.
Markus Thomas: Then I'm in graphic arts with Mr. Davis, learning how to do the AB dick press and type setting. And
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: mind you, this is before windows and all of that type. This is before computers. I had to develop film and all of that kind of stuff. I do
KOOL KEN: Right. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: that stuff to this day. To this day, that's why I'm in the Photoshop. I do multimedia. You see my background. I created all
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: of this.
KOOL KEN: I know that's right.
Markus Thomas: I got another background where I had it animated and I had people walking past the glass and, dude, all of that started from Princeton. Because you had
KOOL KEN: And that's winning.
Markus Thomas: people that ushered that stuff in, man, so I wouldn't. I might tweak some things, but man, Princeton was such a good foundation, man. It's not even, it's hard to even explain, because the more I talk about it, I'm still not doing it any justice. And we ain't even really getting to the teachers, man. Because
KOOL KEN: Right.
Markus Thomas: my twin sister Melanie is a teacher today, so I understand the crap that they dealing with with a lot of these kids. we wasn't,
KOOL KEN: Correct, correct.
Markus Thomas: the teachers back in the day and the parents back in the day, they didn't play that. They didn't play that mess. I'd like to say that we, us from 1988 to about 1993-4ish,
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: that was the last era of it takes a village to raise a child.
KOOL KEN: Right.
Markus Thomas: Because after that, people started doing crazy stuff. Then you
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: got into people talking about give your kids timeouts and parents wanted to be friends and like it wasn't. When people saw my mom and dad, it was like, hey, Mr. Thomas, hey, Ms. Thomas. If I
KOOL KEN: Right.
Markus Thomas: saw somebody else's, it was like, hey, Mrs. Mr., how you doing? Hey, Ms. Burkhardt, how you doing?
KOOL KEN: Still to still to this day. Right.
Markus Thomas: All of that kind of stuff. We had the utmost respect, man. And that was the foundation and why we could do anything. Because it seemed like everybody was looking out for you and everybody had your best interest in mind. And it ain't like that today.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. Well we known each other, man, since we were young, young men, you know
Markus Thomas: Yeah, man.
KOOL KEN: what I'm saying, at Princeton, teammates, state champions.
Markus Thomas: Absolutely. 17 best team in the country. Better recognized. Yes, sir.
KOOL KEN: Hey, then life. We said it today, right? Life, you know, life is taking different directions. And nearly 40
Markus Thomas: We built different bro.
KOOL KEN: years later, man, I'm
Markus Thomas: Yeah.
KOOL KEN: sitting here hosting my own show. You got your own show, interviewing my former teammate. that's gonna be a college hall of famer. We're gonna talk that into existence. We're gonna
Markus Thomas: I'll get there one day.
KOOL KEN: talk it into existence, man.
Markus Thomas: I'll get there one day, something I can show my grandkids. They can laugh at it.
KOOL KEN: When you look at that whole journey, man, what are you most proud of?
Markus Thomas: Again, man, like the foundation we made though. I understand now how different it is. I make the joke, I say I was raised on hose water and freeze tag. You know what I mean?
KOOL KEN: Yeah, I know that's right.
Markus Thomas: We was growing up, we still, you know, bring you, bring you, when the lights come on, you come home. That type of stuff. You know, I could come pick you up in Woodlawn to somewhere, and the AeroStar, but
KOOL KEN: And the Astro. Right, the arrow star, yeah.
Markus Thomas: the point is like, your parents trusted me.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: You know I'm saying? Cause they knew I wouldn't do nothing stupid. So
KOOL KEN: Nah, at all.
Markus Thomas: just that familial thing, man. And that's what I'm most proud of, man, to this very day. Y'all can't, y'all can't, can't nobody tell me nothing about my high school, Nothing.
KOOL KEN: That's right.
Markus Thomas: I don't care if you was in Florida, Texas, California. Y'all ain't got nothing coming through Sharonville, Ohio. Y'all don't want that smoke.
KOOL KEN: They hey we can give it up, dog. They don't know.
Markus Thomas: Y'all didn't want that smoke, bro.
KOOL KEN: They ain't no man. We was raised different, man. Yeah.
Markus Thomas: We was raised different, But it shows and it manifests on what we're doing on days like today. Me and you talking, still calling, you know, to this day when I call Doobie, I don't say, I don't call Doobie. I was like, what's up roommate? You
KOOL KEN: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know that's right.
Markus Thomas: know I mean? Cause we still tight like that. You know what I mean?
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Markus Thomas: So just to be able to have that familial relationships, they don't go nowhere, man. I still talk to Karp all the time. still, you know, talking to you all the time, even though I know.
KOOL KEN: And you look like your pops too, man. Tell your pops, Mom. Tell them to say hello. Hey, man, I see it, dog.
Markus Thomas: I will do that.
KOOL KEN: Hey, man, I'm getting weak. That's not but love and respect. Hey, we got gray hairs
Markus Thomas: Yeah, man, I can't do nothing about that, man. Just that's that's that.
KOOL KEN: now, man. We earned it. You we earned it, man. And it's time it's good.
Markus Thomas: We did, man. My dad used to tell me there's only one proven way to keep from getting old and that's to die young. So he would say, I'll take my rank.
KOOL KEN: That's right. And take these wrinkles, man.
Markus Thomas: So, Pop's still hanging on, man. He doing good. It's his birthday next month. So,
KOOL KEN: Perfect.
Markus Thomas: you know, he hanging in there, Yeah.
KOOL KEN: Shout out. Hey, before we get out here, man, the floor is yours. I I I always let you get the last word. you talk about whatever you want to talk about, you know, business, family life, whatever it may be. we
Markus Thomas: Yeah.
KOOL KEN: all talked about football. And it's about get your mind right. The name of the my podcast is Get Your Mind Right. what made you get your mind right and what keeps you going?
Markus Thomas: coming to the understanding, going back to like what I was saying earlier, when I finally stopped playing football and realized like, all right, you got to do something else and really coming to understand that I was prepared for
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Markus Thomas: from high school through college and like, all right, this is, this is what you got to do. and it's not necessarily about you went to college and you got a degree and all that kind of stuff. Like, no, it's about being prepared. for everything else. It's about being prepared for the stuff that you don't see. We had that foundation and that stayed with us going through college and when we became young adults, the intergrown adults. So just being ready and just being smart, respectful, trying to stay humble. You know I mean? I got grandkids now, so I want them to see the best out of me. The things that I wanna see. working on my podcast, you know, if you like sports, if you like the Philadelphia Eagles, pro fan talk, that's the name of my podcast. but I do tell people, you know, cheesesteaks and Skyline chili, man, that's me. Cause I was, I bleed green, but I was born in the jungle. So go, go birds and who they all at the same time, man. I still represent, I still represent,
KOOL KEN: I know that's right. I know that's right.
Markus Thomas: man. So I just, dude, I just put the ground in every day, man. I'm on my podcast every. I'm streaming live almost every night. Pro fan talk on YouTube or I'm talking about Kelsey Mitchell and the Indiana Fever on my second channel, Pro Fan Hoops. I do all the WNBA stuff with you, Kelsey Mitchell, man.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. Yeah. Big shout out to Kelsey Mitchell. we talked about Mark, that's that's her father.
Markus Thomas: Yeah.
KOOL KEN: Kelsey had had a a phenomenal season this year.
Markus Thomas: Yeah.
KOOL KEN: she's had a phenomenal career.
Markus Thomas: Will she be the first Princeton athlete to be in the professional sports hall of fame?
KOOL KEN: is possible. Because I I I that's that's a great question because I
Markus Thomas: I don't think there's anybody else.
KOOL KEN: don't think it there is anyone. And no.
Markus Thomas: not at the pro level, that they might be, you know, we're a couple college hall of famers, but.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. But she's gonna yeah, she's definitely gonna be a W MBA Hall of Fame.
Markus Thomas: Yeah, she's definitely gonna be in the WB All-In-Fame. So she might be the first pro from Princeton to be a HOF. Shout out to Kels Mitchell, man. Kels
KOOL KEN: Yeah, yeah. Shout out to Kelsey. Yes.
Markus Thomas: Hoops.
KOOL KEN: Yes, yes, Kel's hoops. Hey, my brother. I appreciate you, man. I'm proud of you. Super proud
Markus Thomas: Appreciate you, man. Love you, brother.
KOOL KEN: of you. Love you to death, man. I just want to make sure that we gave you your flowers right here on the Get Your Mind Right Podcast. Cool, Ken.
Markus Thomas: I appreciate it man. try to I try to in my podcast all the time. I always tell people tell you people you love them. Why they here? Yeah, Love you more brother.
KOOL KEN: Much love, nothing but love and respect. You and your family, man. And to everybody watching and listening. Life is precious. Don't
Markus Thomas: Yes, sir.
KOOL KEN: fold. Get your mind right. Marcus Thomas.
Markus Thomas: Keep driving. Yes, sir.
KOOL KEN: Hey, man. Love you, man. Peace. Sign out.
Markus Thomas: Love you back, brother. Appreciate you.
KOOL KEN: Yes, sir. Peace.
